Sanford, FL – Central Florida Regional Hospital is the first hospital in Seminole and Volusia Counties to use the new Pantheris™ Atherectomy technology to treat patients facing peripheral artery disease (PAD).

PAD affects approximately 20 million adults in the U.S. and 202 million people globally. The disease is caused by a build-up of plaque in the arteries that blocks blood flow to the legs and feet. PAD can become so severe and difficult to address with traditional treatments, patients and physicians often resort to extremely invasive bypass surgeries. This can result in even greater health risks and lengthy, painful recoveries. In severe cases, patients often face amputation. Each year, more than 100,000 PAD-related amputations occur in the U.S.

The goal of Pantheris lumivascular technology is to help provide relief for patients suffering from painful symptoms and preventing leg amputations and bypass surgeries through earlier, more effective treatment. Treating PAD currently costs hospitals $102 billion to $253 billion each year, largely due to late detection that increases the need for more invasive treatment options.

Lumivascular technology allows physicians – for the first time ever – to see from inside the artery during a procedure by using an imaging device called optical coherence tomography (OCT). In the past, physicians have had to rely solely on X-rays, as well as touch to guide their tools while they try to treat complicated artery disease. With the lumivascular approach, physicians can more accurately navigate their devices to treat patients because the OCT images allow them to see from inside the artery in real time.

“The ability to combine imaging with the catheter on the inside of the vessel vastly improves the accuracy and, therefore, the completeness of treatment. For the patient, this means a safer, more thorough and minimally invasive treatment for blocked leg arteries.”

According to Dr. Winter, who is the first physician in Central Florida to use this innovative new treatment for peripheral artery disease, symptoms of PAD can include painful cramping, numbness, or discoloration in the legs or feet, and are often dismissed as normal signs of aging.

“Peripheral artery disease is often overlooked, and we want to help change that,” said Dr. Winter. “People who are experiencing any of the symptoms of PAD should ask their doctor about their risk. Early detection is the key to saving limbs.”